River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-12-01
ABOUT CORN FODDER.
Several Methods Which Add Considerably
TO Its Feeding Value.

Several Methods Which Add Considerably
to Its Feeding Value.
Economy being one Of the most
prOfita BILE virtues, il is desirable that
farmers should exercise this virtue in
the disposal of the corn fodder 1t is
common to see the larger part of it
wasted in the manure yard. thrown
out and trampled in the mire. This is
for want of = knowledge or will to
feed it properly. Prof Henry. Of the
Wisconsin Experiment station, be-
lieves that 40 per cent. of the fodder
is lost by feeding it whole. We think
the loss is even greater than this. and
that fully two-thirds by weight is lost
by feeding corn fodder whole. while
30 per cent. of il or more is utilized by
cutting it and feeding it with meal
This is n most important saving for
If. rs we believe, well-saved corn fod-
der is worth from IS to So per ton
when hay is worth IS TO Sl2 and
more in proportion. as hay is worth
more. the loss of one-half of this
valuable feed is a serious affair Few
farmers have the true idea of the act
ual value of fodder corn. or of corn
grown for fodder, as much as for
grain. 1t is or may be made the chief
support of the stock for the winter,
and can be grown for So per ton. dry
weight. Thus it is the cheapest fod
der that can be procured.
The present method of reducing corn
stalks to n condition for feeding needs
improvement. A mere cutting leaves
the stalks in short pieces, with sharp
edges which cut the mouths of the an
imals and cause considerable pain.
The writer has found that whole
stalks, which can be chewed from end
TO end, are eaten more easily than tire
short, sharp-edged pieces left by the
fodder cutters. II is not much better
when the cutter brushes the stalks. for
the sharp edges still cut the mouth.
What is wanted is n shred
der or grinder that viii
reduce the stalks to fibrous
mass. This may be done by means of
steel cutting plates eentered eceen-
trically. so as TO slice the stalks longi-
tudinally and reduce them to shreds.
The sugar-makers use 4 shredding ma
chine consisting of n drum covered
with teeth like those of n circular saw.
by which the stalks are reduced to
pulp Either Of these methods would
be effective for the purpose desired.
and would add large percentage 10
the feeding value Of the fodder.
Ensilage seems to be the cOrollary of
corn-fOdder. and that one is specially
made for the other. 1t is as easy TO
grow 20 tons Of corn as it is to get
ton Of timothy hay. and to grow 40
tons of it as ? tons of timothy. Ma
nure and cultivation only are re-
quired TO produce the largest crops OF
il. By some curious metamorphosis,
not explieable by the chemists. a
large part Of the nutriment co itained
in the green fodder is lost in the
Trying. aud consequently it is desir-
able % cure it in the silo. when the
loss of available nutriment is very
little. # any At ALL The result is that
IL n farmer grows corn for fodder he
must cure ii in a silo. and il he wants
4 silo he must grow corn 10 fill il
with. No doubt the remark that farm
srs who have silos and have grown
corn to fill them with are not borrow
ing trouble about the results Of the ex-
tremely dry weather which has pre-
vailed the past summer is true. and
that fodder corn and the silo are in
dispensable to every well-managed
farm and a great economy in the feed
ing of stock. The saving of labor over
the ordinary method Of curing fodder
corn is very considerable. and will
easily pay large part of the expense
Of growing the erop-G l. zsHle&